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A lot or a little?

The parents' guide to what's in this book.

Educational Value

Brief history of Alexandria and how Alexander the Great united Egypt and Greece, then Ptolemy I ruled. Plus talk of Greek gods and Egyptian gods, especially the vulture goddess Nekhbet and the cobra goddess Wadjet. Full-color illustrations include one of the hieroglyph alphabet.

Positive Messages

As in most tales of gods, the evil forces desire more and more power at the expense of all of humanity. To win against evil, you can't be tempted by power. Bravery, loyalty, and trust also play strong roles in the three stories. Teamwork is essential for defeating the enemy, since two kinds of mythology combine.

Positive Role Models & Representations

Combining the main characters from two series -- Percy Jackson and Kane Chronicles -- shows readers the similarities among characters they already know well. Sadie Kane and Percy Jackson both like to act first, think later and rely on bravery to get them out of sticky situations. But they know to trust their partners in crime, Carter Kane and Annabeth, who always try to think things through carefully, relying on their brains over their brawn first. Percy is the true hero in the end, when he's not tempted by the gods with power.

Violence

In battles with gods, wannabe gods, and their minions, main characters get minor injuries and major burns but are healed with potions and nectar. Percy gets swallowed whole by a giant crocodile and spit out again. Bad guys get the worst of it: A god implodes, one hand is chopped off, a dog and a man are stabbed with a sword, there's a near strangulation and a chopping in half of a flying reptile. Usually in the two series, these creatures turn to dust, but it's harder to get rid of them this time. A subway car derails, cars are crushed, and a building collapses.

Sex

Quick kisses between Percy and Annabeth.

Language

Consumerism

Quick mentions of products such as Brooks shoes, Fruit by the Foot, and the British drink Ribena. The artist Prince and the website Yelp get mentions.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that these three short stories, which combine main characters from Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and Kane Chronicles series, were previously available separately as ebooks only. "The Son of Sobek" was released in 2013, "The Staff of Serapis" in 2014, and "The Crown of Ptolemy" in 2015. The hardcover book Demigods & Magicians: Percy and Annabeth Meet the Kanes includes all three stories, a forward by Percy Jackson, eight full-color illustrations, and a peek at the first chapter of The Hidden Oracle, the start of a series to be released in May 2016. Kids will need to have read at least some of the main Percy Jackson series (five books) and the slightly more complex Kane Chronicle series (three books) to get what's going on when Greek mythology and Egyptian mythology and magic collide. Expect the same kinds of fantasy violence in these shorts that you saw in the other series -- battles against monsters and gods where they get stabbed with swords or blown up. The good guys -- all teens -- get injured but heal with their magical nectar and potions. Readers will learn a bit about Alexander the Great and how he united the Greece and Egypt in his giant empire.

What's the story?

Three short stories -- "The Son of Sobek," "The Staff of Serapis," and "The Crown of Ptolemy" -- build on one another in DEMIGODS & MAGICIANS: PERCY AND ANNABETH MEET THE KANES. In the first, demigod Percy and magician Carter Kane meet tracking down a giant godlike crocodile ready to rampage through a New York suburb. In the second story, Greek demigod Annabeth runs into Carter Kane's younger sister Sadie on a subway train. Together they face off against a two-headed monster desperate to unite with its third head and its godlike master in Rockaway Beach. The third story finds Percy and Annabeth calling the Kanes for backup when they're stuck on an island battling an Elvis lookalike trying to use a stolen book of knowledge to become a god. In all three encounters, Greek and Egyptian weapons and magic must unite in order to defeat the baddies straight from the world of Alexander the Great, the ruler who first united Greece and Egypt.

Is it any good?

God-and-monster brawls and fish-out-of-water comedy combine in these fun crossover stories for fans of Percy Jackson and the Kane siblings. And, as in all books by Rick Rordan, readers will learn something, too -- here, about the link between Egyptian and Greek gods.

But this collection is mostly about the fun of getting two pairs of heroes with very different backgrounds together and seeing what happens. Sometimes it's awkward, such as when -- cringe -- Percy calls Carter a "half-blood." Sometimes it's uncomfortable, such as when Percy agrees to possession by a vulture god, leaving him with a penchant for carrion. And sometimes it's double the heroics, such as when Annabeth wields Egyptian words of power against a wannabe god. The fun will be over too soon for fans who may even start wondering: What would happen if Magnus and Norse mythology were thrown into the mix? Hmm ...

Talk to your kids about ...

Families can talk about the misunderstanding between Percy and Carter when they meet in the first story. Percy asks if he's a "half-blood" as in half Greek god. Carter, who has a white mother and a black father, thinks he means a racial slur. Can you think of a time you felt your intentions were lost in translation? How did you come to an understanding with the other person?

For fans who already read the stories online, did you feel like you still wanted the book? What drew you to own it? Was it the illustrations of characters you like? Or a peek at a new series?

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